~ Life In Vilcabamba

Year 2 – Day 105

I dream where I wake up to discover I had slept in. When I went to look at my phone to check the time there weren’t any numbers on the phone. This is when I realize I am dreaming and woke up for real. It was a few minutes before the time for me to wake up. I am up at 3 am.

I cannot figure out how to work the shower to get the hot water to come out so no shower.

At 3:45 m I share a taxi with Howard and Lee, two fellow travels also flying to Panama.

I am checked in by 4:30 am and browse the shops in the airport.

Before boarding, five names were called out and I was one of the lucky ones. They take us down to where the baggage is loaded and I pick out my suitcase. A guy goes through all my stuff and then I am brought back up to departures. A coupe of minutes later we’re boarding.

We taxi out to the runway and wait on the runway for about 5 minutes. We are told the airplane has to return to the gate because the airport is fogged in. As we taxi back another announcement says we are cleared for takeoff. The airplane takes off in the thick fog.

We arrive in Panama at 8:30 am. Temperature according to the pilot is 82 degrees Fahrenheit here and I can feel the humidity as I get off the plane. Another reminder how wonderful the climate is in Vilcabamba. The terminal is one giant mall.

I am sitting working on my computer when a woman comes by and asks me where I got the long power cord for my computer. After talking I discover my iPhone is missing.

I looked around and the same woman comes back. I tell her that I think my iPhone was stolen. She suggests getting a security guard to see if they can play back the surveillance video. A security guard comes and the woman translates to Spanish for me. I think I might have left it a the last place I sat so I check with the desk nearby – nothing. Then as I walk past where I had been sitting this guy calls out to me and asks I lost my phone? He had it and returned it to me. Yay! That was close.

I go to turn on my password on the phone and notice it is operating in Russian. I take it to the Apple store in the terminal and they set it back to English. Looks like the fellow was Russian?

A couple hours before leaving I arrive at the gate to find a couple of pillows and a blanket. Nap time!

The plane leaves on time and I am Toronto bound. I notice the row of 3 seats next to me are empty so I sit in the window seat. Another person decides to move to the aisle seat so the chance to lie down is gone. The plane is about 2/3 full.

The inflight movie is Guilt Trip. Kind of lame.

The cabin lights are off and I nap sitting up.

5 and half hours later I arrive in Toronto. I catch a taxi back to Celeste’s. The reality of prices here comes home. $70 for a 45 minute ride.